Rep. Haley Stevens defeated Rep. Andy Levin in the latest member-to-member primary on Tuesday night, ending a months-long battle that pitted moderate and progressive factions of the Democratic Party against each other.
Levine, the more progressive of the two lawmakers, is an outspoken member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has the backing of prominent supporters like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who ran for Congress in Michigan last weekend. Stevens, meanwhile, is a much more moderate lawmaker who has the backing of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and staunch Michigan Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI).
The two are the latest victims of the redistricting, which redraws their pre-existing areas. While most of the newly created districts were initially represented by Stevens, Levin touted his family’s ties in the district, whose father was also a congressman. While the other two Democratic primaries for lawmakers this year remain relatively dovish, Levin and Stevens’ races have been marked by a slew of outside spending and heated debates over policy issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Stevens’ re-election this November may not have much trouble, as Michigan’s 11th District remains a Democrat.
